Mourners arrive at Atlanta's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church for a public viewing of Rayshard Brooks, a Black man whose fatal shooting by a white police officer came amid growing calls for an end to racial injustice (June 22) AP Domestic
President Donald Trump was in Arizona on Tuesday for his second political rally in four days. Before leaving Washington, D.C., he The Daily Briefing.
Associate of Rayshard Brooks arrested arson of Wendy's in Atlanta
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 29-year-old woman in connection with an arson fire at the Atlanta restaurant where Rayshard Brooks was killed by police, and the suspect reportedly knew Brooks before his death.
In Twitter posts Tuesday, a sheriff’s spokesperson said deputies had “just apprehended Wendy’s arson suspect Natalie White,” and that she was “in custody at the Fulton County Jail.”
White’s attorney, Drew Findling, told CNN his client was associated with Brooks, but declined to elaborate. Findling said White did not start the June 13 fire.
Brooks was knew what he was doing because he had been trained on the dangers of positional asphyxia.
According to the Associated Press, Arradondo’s comments Tuesday may have been the first in which he used the term, "murder," to describe the incident.
Floyd, a Black man, died May 25 while he was handcuffed and face-down on pavement, with Officer Derek Chauvin pressing a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The homicide, captured on video, set off nationwide protests over police abuses — especially against African Americans.
In an email to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Arradondo issued a statement Monday: “Mr. George Floyd’s tragic death was not due to a lack of training…The officers knew what was happening – one intentionally caused it and the others failed to prevent it. This was murder…"
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder; three other officers face charges of aiding and abetting.
-- AP and Dennis Wagner
Tucson mayor decries video of person killed in police custody
The mayor of Tucson, Arizona, canceled a City Council meeting and expressed outrage Tuesday after being shown video of a civilian death in police custody.
In a written statement quoted by the Arizona Daily Star, Mayor Regina Romero said she was “anguished and deeply troubled” by the incident, which was so disturbing it would be improper to carry on business as usual.
Tucson police are expected to hold a press briefing Wednesday on the incident, which had not previously been disclosed; Romero declined to identify the victim out of respect for the family’s wishes.
The internal investigation comes amid nationwide protests over police brutality and misconduct, especially against minorities. Romero vowed to impose reforms.
-- AP and Dennis Wagner
Louisville police chief fires officer in Breonna Taylor death
A Louisville Metro Police officer involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor officially push for severe prison sentences if they topple or vandalize monuments, and they will face “serious force” if they try to establish an autonomous zone near the White House.
Trump's comments and tweets responded to a failed effort Monday by demonstrators to take down a statue of Andrew Jackson, and thwarted attempts to create an encampment dubbed “BHAZ,” for Black House Autonomous Zone.
In a tweet, Trump vowed “there will never be an ‘Autonomous Zone’ in Washington, D.C... If they try they will be met with serious force!”
Trump said that he plans to issue an executive order to protect statues and other historical monuments from destruction by “hoodlums” and “anarchists.” Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn before departing for Arizona that the order would include "long-term jail sentences."
The Veterans Memorial Preservation Act, a federal law passed in 2003, already makes it a crime to destroy or attempt to destroy a plaque, monument or statue "commemorating the service" of anyone who served in the armed forces. The law carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
Trump’s remarks came a day after protesters tried to tear down a statue of former President Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Park just across the street from the White House. Jackson's legacy includes the Indian Removal Act of 1830 that ripped Native Americans from their lands and led to thousands of deaths. He opposed the abolitionist movement.
– Michael Collins and Courtney Subramanian
MLK daughter at Brooks' funeral: 'We cannot stop our cry for justice'
Family and friends gathered Tuesday to remember Rayshard Brooks in a private funeral service, one day after hundreds of mourners passed through Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church to pay tribute in a public viewing.
The daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. denounced structural racism and urged Americans to redouble efforts for justice for Brooks, who was killed June 12 by police in Atlanta.
“If we miss this moment, we will find ourselves returning again and again to a pathway of chaos and self-destruction,” said the Rev. Bernice King. “…We cannot stop our cry for justice and our fight for freedom.”
King was among numerous speakers eulogizing Brooks, the father of four, who died hours after celebrating his daughter’s eighth birthday. The shooting came amid a nationwide uprising over police abuses triggered by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
The Rev. Raphael G. Warnock, senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church and a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, eulogized Brooks. Gospel singers Smokie Norful, Tamela Mann and Kurt Carr performed at the Atlanta burial. A jumbotron aired the funeral from outside the bell tower and a livestream was offered online for those around the country who wished to view the service.
Brooks, who was killed when fleeing from police the night of his daughter's eighth birthday celebration, was remembered by loved ones as a "girl dad," being a father of three young girls and one stepson.
-- Lorenzo Reyes and David Heath
Almost a third of Americans say "a complete overhaul" of the criminal justice system is needed, while 40% say it needs "major changes" and 25% say it needs "minor changes."
The poll also found that Americans overwhelmingly want clear standards on when police officers may use force and consequences for officers who do so excessively. Among the other measures many support: requiring officers to wear body cameras and requiring officers to report misconduct by their peers. There was strong support for penalizing officers who engage in racially biased policing
Soldier leaked information to neo-Nazi group in plot to attack US soldiers
A U.S. Army soldier passed on sensitive information to a white supremacy group to orchestrate a deadly attack on his unit overseas, the Justice Department said in an indictment unsealed Monday.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Ethan Melzer, using encrypted applications, sent messages to members of a neo-Nazi group called Order of the Nine Angles or O9A shortly after learning of his unit's deployment overseas. Melzer leaked information about the unit's location, movements, security and the number of soldiers to facilitate what he and his co-conspirators referred to as a "jihadi attack," prosecutors alleged.
Melzer, 22, of Louisville, Ky., has been charged with conspiring and attempting to murder U.S. nationals, conspiring and attempting to murder military service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to murder and maim in a foreign country. He joined the Army in 2018 and joined O9A the following year, ities said.
– Kristine Phillips
Baltimore restaurant apologizes to Black woman, son after denying them service over clothes
A Baltimore restaurant owner that has repeatedly come under fire for its dress code policy has apologized to a Black woman and her son for denying them service for wearing clothing that did not adhere to their dress code.
Marcia Grant was repeatedly told by a manager that she and her son, Dallas, were unable to eat at Ouzo Bay in a video she recorded and posted on social media Monday.
In the video, her son was seen wearing sneakers, gym shorts and an Air Jordan T-shirt. Another child, recorded eating outside, was wearing similar apparel. That child was white.
Atlas Restaurant Group, which owns Ouzo Bay and other restaurants in the area, called the incident “incredibly disturbing” and has put the manager involved on “indefinite leave.” Atlas will also not require anyone under the age of 12 to follow dress code at its restaurants.
– Joshua Bote
![Sisters Jaeda Nichols, 11, and J'nyah Nichols, 10, pose for a portrait by their favorite mural from Color the Creek's Black Lives Matter project on Sunday, June 21, 2020, in Battle Creek, Mich. The mural was painted by Jamari Taylor, born in Battle Creek and currently based in Grand Rapids.]()
1 of 61![A man walks past a black lives matter mural by artist Boss City Taio on June 23, 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland. Black Lives Matter protests are continuing across the UK following the death of African American George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020.]()
2 of 61![Black lives matter graffiti is seen on June 23, 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland.]()
3 of 61![For the second week in a row the George Floyd mural in Salt Lake City was vandalized with tar, as anonymous artists repair the damage on Sunday, June 21, 2020.]()
4 of 61![A Black Lives Matter Mural was painted at the intersection of W. Locust St. and N. Martin Luther King Drive on Friday, June 19, 2020 in Milwaukee.]()
5 of 61![Murals and memorials were masked by residents before Vice President Mike Pence was rumored to visit the Historic Greenwood District in Tulsa, Okla. on Saturday, June 20, 2020 as President Donald Trump visits the city for his first campaign rally since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.]()
6 of 61![Artist Shane Grammer recently painted a mural of George Floyd on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood.]()
7 of 61![“Black Austin Matters” appears in large letters painted on Congress Avenue in downtown Austin, Texas, on Tuesday June 16, 2020. Capitol View Arts and the Austin Justice Coalition partnered with the City of Austin to make the statement against racism and police brutality.]()
8 of 61![A mural of George Floyd created by artist Jordan Brooks is seen in Topeka, Kan. on Jun 12, 2020.]()
9 of 61![A child rides a scooter past a mural by artists Malik Crawford and Jerome Tiunayan on a boarded up store in the Union Square section of New York June 15, 2020.]()
10 of 61![A giant "BLACK LIVES MATTER" sign is painted in orange on Fulton Street, June 15, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York.]()
11 of 61![Palestinian artist Ayman al-Housari paints a mural depicting George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died while in Minneapolis police custody, in Gaza City on June 16, 2020.]()
12 of 61![A Black Lives Matter mural sits in a window of the TCL Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd., a day after a large protest march there, June 15, 2020, in Los Angeles.]()
13 of 61!["Black Lives Matter" appears in yellow paint on a Topeka, Kan. parking lot on Jun 11, 2020 in support of the national movement.]()
14 of 61![A wall at Capitol City Pawn Shop in Topeka, Kan. has new murals paying respects to George Floyd, painted by @commonpicasso and Dominique White on June 12, 2020.]()
15 of 61![A pedestrian passes murals to honor George Floyd and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick covering pieces of plywood used to shield windows in an empty storefront south of the State Capitol, June 11, 2020, in Denver.]()
16 of 61![A man walks past "Just Because I Am Black", an artwork by Italian pop artist and activist aleXsandro Palombo as a tribute following the death of George Floyd, on June 12, 2020 in Milan, as the country is easing its lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus.]()
17 of 61![People walk by a mural of George Floyd in Graffiti Alley in Toronto, Canada, June 11, 2020. The well known Toronto alleyway is being painted with prominent Black figures and messages of solidarity against anti-Black racism in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.]()
18 of 61![An aerial view of Hollywood Boulevard painted with the words 'All Black Lives Matter near the famous TCL Chinese and Dolby theaters as protests continue in the wake of George Floyds death on June 13, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.]()
19 of 61![A man walks past graffiti that reads ' 'I can't Breathe' on June 11, 2020 in London, England.]()
20 of 61![Pakistani truck-art artist Haider Ali paints the portrait of George Floyd on the wall of his 真人百家家乐官网网站home in Karachi, Pakistan, June 12, 2020.]()
21 of 61![Pedestrians and a cyclist pass a mural in Union Square calling for justice over the death of George Floyd, and to highlight police brutality nationwide, Thursday, June 11, 2020, in New York.]()
22 of 61![The beginnings of a Black Lives Matter mural begins to take shape on East Pine Street in the so-called "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone" on June 10, 2020 in Seattle, Washington.]()
23 of 61![A man walks past a mural showing the face of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after a white policeman knelt on his neck during an arrest in the U.S., painted on a section of Israel's controversial separation barrier in the city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on June 10, 2020, with text reading "I can't breathe, I want justice not O2."]()
24 of 61![A person walks by a mural for George Floyd in Houston, Texas on June 8, 2020.]()
25 of 61![Eddie Brooks takes a selfie in front of a Black Lives Matter mural on a designated spray paint art area June 8, 2020 in downtown South Bend, Ind.]()
26 of 61![Zack Murray paints a mural honoring George Floyd, on the side of a building in Houston’s Third Ward on June 7, 2020. Floyd, who grew up in the Third Ward, died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day.]()
27 of 61![Zack Schmidt of Pittsburgh stops to take a photo, June 9, 2020, of a painting of Antwon Rose, a 17-year-old African American who was fatally shot in East Pittsburgh on June 19, 2018 by an East Pittsburgh Police officer. The portraits, also include Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, in addition to a 300 ft x 12 ft Black Lives Matter mural painted by some two dozen Pittsburgh artists and passers-by over the weekend along the Three Rivers Heritage trail along the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh.]()
28 of 61![Pedestrians walk past a mural painted on plywood covering a window, June 8, 2020, in Seattle, near the site of a demonstration the night before at a Seattle police precinct where protests continued over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis.]()
29 of 61![This is a 300 ft x 12 ft Black Lives Matter mural painted by some two dozen Pittsburgh artists and passers-by over the weekend along the Three Rivers Heritage trail along the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh, June 8, 2020. "It's not big enough," said Connor Clarke, one of the artists who worked on the mural.]()
30 of 61![A view from inside Dallas City Hall, Tuesday, June 9, 2020, shows partial work of a mural painted across the plaza in front of the building by artist JD Moore. The complete mural reads, Black Lives Matter, and is painted on the plaza stretching the length of City Hall. The mural was created with temporary washable paints.]()
31 of 61![A Palestinian man walks past a graffiti of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after a white policeman knelt on his neck during an arrest in the US, painted on a section of Israel's controversial separation barrier in the city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on June 7, 2020.]()
32 of 61![Artist Paul Glyn-Williams puts the finishing touches on a George Floyd mural on June 6, 2020 in Toronto, Canada. This is the 12th day of protests since George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25.]()
33 of 61![A view of a mural on the covering of a window of a business in downtown Cincinnati as they show support for the Black Lives Matter movement on June 6, 2020.]()
34 of 61![A mural on the covering of a businesses in downtown Cincinnati on June 6, 2020. Listed are the names of all those who were killed by police officers.]()
35 of 61![A view of a mural on the covering of a window of a business in downtown Cincinnati as they show support for the Black Lives Matter movement and voting on June 6, 2020.]()
36 of 61![Justine Gibbon paints a mural on boards covering up Kismet's windows in Over-the-Rhine on Friday, June 5, 2020. Artists and community members are painting murals and messages of solidarity and support for the Black Lives Matter movement on boards covering up windows to businesses in Over-the-Rhine and downtown Cincinnati.]()
37 of 61![A makeshift memorial for George Floyd including a mural, cards and flowers on June 1, 2020 is seen near the spot where he died while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minn.]()
38 of 61![WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 05: People walk down 16th street after volunteers, with permission from the city, painted "Black Lives Matter" on the street near the White House on June 5, 2020 in Washington, DC. After seven days of protests in DC over the death of George Floyd, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has renamed that section of 16th street "Black Lives Matter Plaza."]()
39 of 61![A mural of George Floyd is shown painted on the side of Scott Food Mart in the Third Ward before a march in his honor on June 2, 2020 in Houston, Texas.]()
40 of 61![After a new mural, center, of George Floyd is added to a growing memorial of tributes, Trevor Rodriquez sits alone at the spot where Floyd died while in police custody, June 2, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minn. "I have been out every single night protesting peacefully, just trying to support everything," said Rodriquez. "I didn't want to come here just on a rush, so I had to just take a moment to pay my respect."]()
41 of 61![People walk past a mural painted by French artist Combo in homage to George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after a white policeman knelt on his neck during an arrest in the US, on June 5, 2020, in Grenoble, France.]()
42 of 61![Artist Chris Burke stands in front of a new mural in memory of George Floyd on Friday, June 5, 2020 at the corner of North Avenue and Holton Street in Milwaukee, Wis.]()
43 of 61![A woman walks past a "Black Lives Matter" mural painted on the boarded-up Apple Store, June 6, 2020, in Boston.]()
44 of 61![Kenyan mural artist Brian Esendi, also known as Bankslave, paints a graffiti mural in the Kibera slum in Nairobi on June 3, 2020, depicting George Floyd.]()
45 of 61![An aerial view shows Syrian artists Aziz Asmar and Anis Hamdoun painting a mural depicting George Floyd in the town of Binnish in Syria's northwestern Idlib province on June 1, 2020.]()
46 of 61![A George Floyd mural by artist Djamel Oulkadi is seen on June 5, 2020 in Strombeek-Bever, Belguim.]()
47 of 61![Wearing a mask he designed himself that reads, "I can't breathe," artist Theo Ponchaveli poses in front of mural he painted in Dallas, June 1, 2020, depicting the scene of George Floyd in custody.]()
48 of 61![A man walks past a mural depicting George Floyd during a protest over the death of Floyd, May 31, 2020, in Los Angeles.]()
49 of 61![This view shows a detail of a mural memorial in Nantes, France on June 2, 2020, made in memory of the late George Floyd.]()
50 of 61![A person walks past a mural of George Floyd in Oakland, Calif., June 4, 2020.]()
51 of 61![Police officers ride bicycles past a mural of George Floyd during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd in the Venice area of Los Angeles on June 2, 2020.]()
52 of 61![A mural painted on the floor of the Frank Ogawa Plaza is pictured during a "Sit Out the Curfew" protest against the death of George Floyd who died in Minneapolis on May 25 whilst in police custody, in downtown Oakland, California on June 3, 2020.]()
53 of 61![Graffiti artist Akse spray paints a mural of George Floyd in Manchester's northern quarter on June 03, 2020 in Manchester, United Kingdom.]()
54 of 61![A woman works on a mural honoring George Floyd June 2, 2020, in Minneapolis.]()
55 of 61![A man wearing a face mask looks at his phone as he cycles past a mural on a wall depicting a portrait of George Floyd in Berlin, Germany on May 30, 2020.]()
56 of 61![A mural by street artist Jorit, honoring George Floyd, who died May 25 after being restrained by police in Minneapolis depicts from left, Lenin, Martin Luther King, George Floyd, Malcom X and Angela Davis, atop the roof of a building in Naples, Italy, June 6, 2020.]()
57 of 61![A mural of George Floyd is seen in downtown Oakland, California during a "Sit Out the Curfew" protest on June 3, 2020.]()
58 of 61![A man walks near a mural depicting George Floyd in Redwood City, Calif., June 2, 2020, during a protest over the death of Floyd who died May 25 after he was restrained by Minneapolis police.]()
59 of 61![Artists complete a mural of George Floyd outside of Cup Foods, May 28, 2020 in Minneapolis.]()
60 of 61![Members of the public walk past new graffiti in support of George Floyd on the Clyde Walk way on June 3, 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland.]()
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Seattle mayor seeks peaceful shutdown of activists' ‘police-free zone’
Seattle officials have decided to dismantle a six-block “police-free zone” held by demonstrators in the heart of the city for more than two weeks.
In the aftermath of two shootings – one of them fatal – Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Monday that the so-called Capitol Hill Organized Protest will be displaced and police will return to a precinct house they abandoned.
Durkan declined to say exactly how the area will be cleared if occupants resist but stressed that a transition will be “peaceful and in the near future.”
Hundreds of demonstrators have occupied the area, sharing food, music and political activism but also causing damage and closing businesses. Now, said Durkan, “It’s time for people to go 真人百家家乐官网网站home.”
– Dennis Wagner
Iowa city unanimously approves racial profiling ban
After years of coordinated efforts by local organizers, the Des Moines City Council on Monday an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, officer Devin Brosnan said Rayshard Brooks, the 41-year-old Black man who was killed, had grabbed his Taser while being arrested. During a tussle, Brosnan said, he was shocked with the weapon and his head was slammed against the pavement.
As Brooks ran away with the Taser – a scene captured on video – he was pursued by a second officer, Garrett Rolf, who shot Brooks. Rolf faces 11 felony counts, including murder.
Brosnan, charged with placing his foot on Brooks’ back after the shooting, said he was disoriented and fearful until he realized the suspect was no longer a threat. “In no way, shape or form was I trying to hurt this man,” he told the Atlanta newspaper. “People will see this for what it is. They will understand I didn’t do anything wrong."
Related: city staff told city council that they could also re-dedicate the city's name to a different Bragg, such as Britain’s William Henry Bragg and William Lawrence Bragg, the father-son team who won the 1915 Nobel Prize in physics.
In North Carolina, Bragg has one of the largest military installations in the world named after him. It's one of many bases across the country that not as a political statement, but out of sensitivity to the national controversy over law enforcement abuses.
The disappearance was first noted on social media, including Reddit, where one post exclaimed, “Yikes. The anti-cop sentiment is reaching everything” and another observed, “Fortnite has de-funded the police.”
More on protests
- The statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the American Museum of Natural History in New York will be removed.
- Defund the police?Some cities have already started and are investing in mental health instead
- Art activism: Stories behind murals, street paintings and portraits created in protest
Contributing: Khrysgiana Pineda; The Associated Press
